You have to live for something
by Caryl4ever
Summary: A story of Daryl's life. Some parts from when he was little and some with Carol and Sophia. I got rid of Ed and Daryl is Sophia's dad.
1. Chapter 1

The earliest time that Merle went to juvy, that Daryl can remember, he was only five. Their dad was out somewhere, they had no idea where, he didn't come back for a week. So the people that worked with custody held him there until Merle could come and pay the fine. He only had to stay the night and Merle and one of his few friends came and got him. It was only him and some other girl.

One of the worst things Daryl remembered most about that place was the toys. He hated them. There was a green fire truck. Fire trucks are not green.

"Do you wanna play with me?" The little girl was bored out of her mind, but Daryl refused to play with those toys.

"With what?"

"Idunno, the fire truck maybe"

"What fire truck?"

He rolled it under one of the chairs. "That one..."

"No, fire trucks are red, thats a tractor"

She laughed at him. "Hey, whats your name anyway?"

"Idunno"

"Sure you do, I'll tell you my name"

"What is it?"

"Andrea, now whats yours?"

"Daryl"

"Oh...Why are you here?"

"My brother's in jail"

"What about your mom or dad?"

"Idunno where my daddy went, my mom's dead"

"Oh, I was with my uncle, I dont even live in Georgia"

"Then why are you here?"

"My parents went on vacation"

"Without you!"

"Hm hmm"

"So where do you live when they come back?"

"Florida"

"Thats far"

"Not really..."

She was about two years older than him, to her he was just a stupid little kid and she was bored.

"The toys suck, I like mine better"

"I like mine too.. they arent even in the state"

"Do you think they gonna let me go home, I can just walk from here"

"They might put you in that car"

"What car?"

"The one that does to Michigan, to take you to some fake family"

"A fake family...?"

"Hm hmm"

"No!, I like my family!"

"I thought you only had your brother"

"My brother is my family!"

"Whatever you say, I just dont think that one guy is a family"

"Well it is"

After a while he decided to just sit under a chair and ignore that girl. He decided that he hated her too. He hated everyone that dissed Merle. It was getting late and him and the girl had just sat there quietly.

"How old is your brother?"

He didn't answer her. He could just hear Merle, Atta boy, give that bitch what she deserves. He buried his face in his palms. The lady at the front desk told them that another person was gonna come and bring them to their rooms for the night. An old mean woman came and forcibly grabbed their hands. They both didn't wanna be touched by her. Daryl hated her too. She shoved him in a room with blue walls and really squishy carpet. He liked the carpet. He waited until he didn't hear anymore of the people walking around and he crawled under his bed to sleep on the squishy carpet.

* * *

"C'mon please, when have I ever asked you for anything?"

Merle was trying to get his friend to bust him out. "Well there was that-"

"Dont...answer that"

He sighed "Idunno Merle, what do you want me to do, go to your house and get your money for you?"

"You could, or I could pay you back later"

"Well, can't you just stay a week and wait for your dad like usual?"

"Not. this. time."

"Why the hell not?"

"They took Daryl"

"Took him?"

"They're holdin' him til we pay the fine. In a week if no one pays they'l take him to a foster home"

"You went in with money, didn't you?"

"Yeah but they aint gonna let me have it til you bail me out"

"I aint gonna do this for you"

"Please, I cant lose Daryl, he's all I have...My baby brother"

"...I'll do it for Daryl"

"Oh thank you, you're a saint"

"Ok, dont scare me off now"

"Sorry, just, ya know, hurry"

"Hm hmm"

He hung up. All Merle could think about was if Daryl was scared. If he cried. No. Not Daryl. He told him almost everyday that crying was wrong. That real men dont do that. He wouldn't cry. Not him. His baby brother.

* * *

"I'm so saving your ass right now and you so owe me"

"And you wont let me forget about it yada yada yada I've heard this speech before"

"Damn straight, you still owe me for those"

"I know I do"

He paid off the bail. With various "You suck"s in between glances.

"K, we done with that?"

"Yeah"

"Now Daryl"

"Yeah"

"C'mon, be more enthusiastic, this is my baby brother we talking about!"

"Yeah"

"I dont hear any happy!"

"Me neither"

"What the hell do you think I am!"

"A dick"

"That doesn't count"

"Oh no?"

"Shut up"

* * *

Daryl woke up on the bed. He didnt go back up there. If someone pulled him from under the bed...He felt really violated. And he didn't even know. He got up and went into the lobby again. That girl was wearing a sweatshirt and sitting in one of the chairs. The one next to the one with the "fire truck" under it. She had a purple stuffed bear in her hands.

"I'm goin' home" She said with a bright smile.

He ignored her and sat in the corner of the room. The door opened. Daryl saw Merle's friend Josh. He knew him for quite a while. Then Merle behind him.

"Merle!"

He ran to him, Merle picked him up. "Hey, baby brother"

They paid his "bail" and just walked out.

"Who was the girl?"

"She was mean. I hate her"

"Atta boy, you give that bitch what she deserves?"


	2. Chapter 2

"How'd you take care of yourself when Merle was gone?"

Carol was trying to comfort Daryl since they left Merle behind. It wasn't exactly working. Her husband died about ten years ago. Then she met Daryl. He knew that she was abused, and so was her baby, so they got along pretty well. He raised the baby. It was his family. He claimed them.

"The first time I was five"

"Five years old?"

"Hm hmm"

"What'd you do?"

"The people took me into custody, Merle had to pay a fine to get me back"

"Really?"

"Well his friend did"

"But they came back for you"

"I went back for him, I could have just as easily left myself"

"Daryl, you were five"

"What's that gotta do with it?"

"You really think they wouldn't find you?"

"Well..."

Andrea walked past them "Are you talking about when you were little?"

"Yeah, getting put in custody cuza Merle goin' to Juvy"

"I got put in custody once, I was seven, my uncle was selling drugs while I was in the car. My parents were on vacation. I had to wait for them"

"It felt really weird cuz I was the only one there except for this chick"

"It was me and some little boy complaining about the green fire truck" She sipped her water bottle

Daryl knew what was happening "She had a purple teddy bear"

"I had a purple teddy bear"

"I complained about green fire trucks"

"Well what do ya know, you quit talkin' after a while, what happened?"

"You dissed Merle"

"Sorry, I was kinda a bitch"

"I know you were"

Carol interupted them "Daryl"

They laughed. Then they heard screaming.

"Sophia!"

They all ran toward it, they're was a walker coming toward her and Carl. When she saw Daryl she ran over to him and he shot the walker in the head.

"Hey, are you ok?"

She just buried her face in his shirt. "Baby, look at me"

He got on his knees and he held her close. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Alright, go on to your mama"

She went over to Carol and she held her for a while. Then they walked away and Daryl started to follow them. Rick spoke up "Daryl can I talk to you?"

"Nope"

"Please, I didnt want to leave him"

"Of course not, you only cuffed him"

"Thats not fair"

Lori was watching them carefully, Carol put Sophia in the RV and she watched them too.

"You shouldnt'a left him...He has family!"

"How would I know that?"

"T-dog said he told you in the car"

"We were already on our way back"

"You coulda turned around!"

"He wasn't worth it!"

Carol came next to Daryl "Rick stop"

"He is a part of this group, you just now came in like an hour ago, they shoulda left you"

Rick pulled out his gun. Lori ran to grab it "Rick don't!"

Carl and Sophia came over to them "Dad stop!"

"Daddy!"

Sophia dove into Daryl's arms at the same time Carol did. He picked up Sophia and started walking away, after glaring at Rick.

"Hey Rick...We dont kill the living"

* * *

Daryl decided to move in with Carol. He didn't know what to do with the house he used to live in. It was kind of a good thing that he didn't sell it. Her house was a flaming piece of crap. Her _trailer. _The first night he was there he spent squishing bugs. She was too scared to touch them. Sophia slept in a suspiciously small crib in the corner of Carol's room. The shower only had cold water. If you wanted warm water you had to take a bath...and they saved that for Sophia. Carol's bed was a twin cuz that was the only thing that would fit in her room. After a few days Daryl was just done with it.

"Ok, I have an idea"

"Whats that?"

"Instead of me living with you, not that the house isn't good enough or anything, but instead you live with me"

"You still have your house?"

"Yeah...So?"

"Sounds good"

"Wait, you'll do it?"

"Yeah, I'm not an idiot this place is a complete shit hole"

"Well...It aint that bad"

"Oh, ok"

"Well maybe its a little crappy"

"You cant stress maybe enough"

They moved all her stuff (Which wasn't a lot) into Daryl's house. Sophia even had her own room. Carol was excited about the full sized bed. Warm water. _Hot_ water. No bugs. Well maybe one.

She got in bed with Daryl, the first night she was there.

"See aint this better than that old trailer?"

"It really is"

"Hot water"

"Exactly"

"Walking space"

"Hm hmm"

"More than one bathroom"

"Daryl I'm tired, let me sleep"

"Sorry"

* * *

Daryl was half sleeping. Batting at the american flag in the RV. Carol came in and sat next to him.

"Are you ok?"

He didnt say anything. He rolled over and burried his face in the sheets. Carol rubbed his back.

"Sweetie look at me"

He turned back over to her. "Rick did all he could, you know that"

He turned back over "They wouldn't have come back at all...any of them"

"They could have just as easily brought him with...just needed the damn key"

"They dropped it"

"T-dog"

"Daryl"

"What? They might as well of shot him in the head"

"Dont think like that"

"Either that or the walkers ripped him apart, if you want me to think like that instead"

She sighed "I wouldn't talk about it when Rick's around"

"He only pulled a gun on me"

"Only pulled a gun on you in front of your _daughter"_

"Dont remind me"

Carol moved some of his hair out of his eyes. "Try not to focus on Merle...for her"

"I wont"

"Good"

She got up to leave and Daryl grabbed her hand "Stay here"

"Ok" She sat back down and rubbed his back again until he fell asleep and she could sneak away.


End file.
